Andante
by autumn desiree
Summary: Ryo.Saku. Andante. That word explained her relationship with the tennis star oh so well. Andante.
1. Koi no Vacance

Andante

Composed by: Chiaki Nozomi

Ryo.Saku.

Sakuno sighed as she closed the pages of yet another manga. Her shelves were starting to become packed with the stories about the most unlikely couples coming together. She placed her hand over her heart to stop the quickened breathing, and fanned her flushed face.

No matter what the characters' names were, she always managed to change them to "Ryoma-kun" and "Ryuzaki", although by the end he would be calling her by "Sakuno", perhaps with a nice "-chan" added in privacy…

She felt her face flush again. How long has she had that petty, childish crush on the tennis star? Three? Four years? She sighed. The built up energy was becoming too much. "I'll burst soon because of these feelings," she murmured and stuck the graphic novel back in her bag.

When she drew her hand back out, a strap poked out, taunting her with its bright red presence. She smiled and pulled out the camera, adjusting the various levels and knobs until she was satisfied it would compliment the day's light.

Somewhere along the days she had picked up a new hobby – photography. At first it was just a ploy to see Ryoma often with a better reason than "I'm following you like a puppy dog." And she did. She knew she did. She also knew that it annoyed him. But something drew her to him like a fly to honey. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, when he walked into a room she knew even if her back was turned, something inside Sakuno connected with Echizen Ryoma completely.

The pictures provided another perk – she had a little album of pictures at home of Ryoma and the rest of the team, their matches, their ups, their downs – everything – were saved. Occasionally she would look through it and smile at the memories, although none were her own directly.

Ryoma's were her favorite, with obvious reasons. Something about his presence seemed to be captured in photographs, his poetic movements caught in mid flight, his serious, zoned complexion made her feel like a mirror, reflecting everything but without a form of her own.

And she was nothing to him. Then again, everything outside of tennis was nothing to Echizen. Her first tactic had been to learn tennis, but he never noticed a neophyte like herself, only the brightest stars of the tennis world.

"Here you go again, wallowing in self pity," Sakuno mumbled and looked at the sky. The sun was nearing her prime, which meant Saturday practice was about to start. She stood, swiped the grass off her legs, and lightly jogged toward the tennis courts.

Ryoma almost laughed as he saw the chocolate haired girl approach. Everyday for as long as he could remember, she would come to their practices. At first she cheered, but once she picked up that camera habit she stopped, much to his approval. If only she could get that loud mouth friend of hers to shut up as well. . .

He sighed and wondered how many pictures she had of the team at home. Probably hundreds. Maybe even thousands. For a moment he pondered the number of pictures that were of him, and him only, but Coach Syaoran blew his whistle before he could come up with a number.

There was something magical of being in shape. The smooth, silky feel of your body as you run, the muscles contracting and relaxing easily, the efficiency of the lungs that enabled long distances… everything. Ryoma finished his laps easily, and began stretching.

_Click. Click. Click._ At first the sound annoyed him as much as her yelling, but after awhile the clicks became part of his rhythm. He could predict the clicks, _pok__ – click - pok – click – pok - click._ Now, as he stretched, he could hear the clicks, in time with his counting, clicking halfway through the count and at the end.

They were to do friendly matches today, which usually equaled to a mere goof off day. They had won the tournament that guaranteed them a trip to the nationals, and to celebrate Coach allowed them one week of 'rest' – half the daily number of sets and friendly matches.

Ryoma caught up on the lost time at home, playing with his mocking father. Still, his skills were no where near good enough to surpass him, although once or twice he had gotten close.

He scoffed at his opponent, some third year who had transferred from China the day before, and readied himself for the serve. He watched the angle of the racket, the height of the throw, the speed of the arc… _pok__ – click – pok – pok – click._

Sakuno diligently watched the game through the eye of her camera. The once foreign eye made the matches hard to follow, for the speed of the game clashed with the narrow view, but once she became accustomed to it, zooming in and out within shots became natural.

His opponent, the Chinese exchange student, Ky-Xuang, had no apparent tricks up his sleeve, and overall seemed like one of the lower opponents Ryoma faced.

She blinked suddenly, Xuang had taken an odd shot, with his racket twisted in an awkward angle and the ball flying... toward her! She dropped her camera but was too slow to move out of the way. BAM!

Ryoma's jaw dropped. Did that brat just peg Ryuzaki in the face? He tossed a quick death glare – highly effective judging by the look on the exchange student's face – and dashed to the fence, stopping in front of her.

Her shoulders shook, and he wondered if she was crying. "Hey," he called, and his eyes widened as she looked up, breathing shakily while trying to hold back the tears. He smirked, perhaps she gained a spine? "You okay," he asked, keeping his tone neutral.

"Y-yeah," she replied, voice trembling.

Ryoma chuckled and nodded, "Hold on," he ordered, jogged over to her. "Let me see your eye," he instructed, and she shook her head, still covering her eye. His eyes narrowed and he reached up and removed it, while her face grew ten shades darker. He stared at her hurt eye - judging by the swelling it would turn purple by the end of the day.

"Follow me," he commanded, although even if he didn't, she would follow him anyway. A sudden plop made him stop in his tracks. Ryuzaki the klutz. She was brushing off her knee with one hand, the other still covering her eye. Had this been a movie, Ryoma would have scoffed at the sheer idiocy of the moment. As it stood now, it looked more pitiful than anything else.

He walked over and held out his hand. "Get up." Her face flushed as she looked at the hand, but weakly put it in his own.

His strong grip nearly crushed her hand as he pulled her up. She would normally wince from the pain, but strangely the excitement of being near Ryoma stifled the pain.

This time he kept his pace slower than usual, allowing her to almost walk side by side with him. Soft whimpers left her mouth, much to his enjoyment. She tried so hard to appear tough.

He entered the locker room and made a beeline for the first aid box. He pulled out one of the 'icy-hot' packs and snapped the metal inside before tossing it to her. "Put it on your eye before it gets worse, he commanded, and frowned when she missed the bag. He walked over swiftly and bent to pick up the bag at the same time as Sakuno. Their hands brushed each other, and both pulled away quickly.

Ryoma's hand tingled where her fingers touched, puzzling him. Since when had he pulled away at the contact of another being? He reached down and picked up the bag and handed it to her.

"Sorry," she said and took the baggy gingerly.

"You should go home," he advised, "You can't take pictures and hold that thing up at the same time."

Sakuno's eyes widened. "You- you noticed I take pictures?"

"What else do you do with that chunk of metal you carry around your neck," Ryoma snidely replied, to which Sakuno apologized. He frowned; she may have developed some spine, but not near enough. He didn't answer her though, and walked out of the room. Sakuno touched her hand, which had Ryoma's touch burned into memory. He noticed her… Her heart nearly stopped.

Ryoma didn't notice a large number of his teammates scattering suddenly upon his return, and if he had, perhaps tomorrow's surprise wouldn't have been a surprise…


	2. Scramble

Andante

Composed by Chiaki Nozomi

Ryo.Saku.

Sakuno blinked in surprise as she pulled out the plain white paper. Scribbled on the note was 'Meet me in the courts at five.' Sakuno wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. What could possibly be the point of this? It couldn't have come from Ryoma, he wasn't the type to do something so indirectly, and calling her to the courts… which courts? Tennis? Basketball? Volleyball?

Sakuno frowned. If she wandered around at all the courts on campus, she would miss today's practice. "I can't leave whoever it is waiting either," she sighed. Suddenly the bell rang, and she jumped in fright. She slipped her feet into her indoor shoes, not bothering to put them on properly, and began to dash to her classroom. Her record was lovely until she neared the door. Her right shoe flew, and she slipped and crashed into the door.

Sakuno groaned and rubbed her right foot. The voices of her classmates drifted to her ears, most wondering what happened, some laughing from the girls' startled screams. Homeroom teacher, Sakura-sensei, opened the door and looked down with a frown that morphed into shock at seeing her bruised eye. "Ryuzaki-san," she exclaimed, "What happened to your eye?"

"A tennis ball hit me," she muttered, and stood, grimacing. No matter how many times she fell, each time still had its own special pain and spot to make sore. Sakura-sensei chuckled and held the door for her. Upon her entrance, the class gasped collectively. Sakuno looked down, embarrassed.

"Whoa, did Ryuzaki-san get into a fight," a girl whispered in the back, "I never thought she was the type!"

"Yeah right," her friend replied, "She's the one who probably got her ass kicked."

Sakuno listened to the bits and pieces of the conversations, innerved. Some ranged from the truly bizarre (compensation S&M dating) to the simple fight (although the reasons behind the fight deserved its own special category). She snuck a glance at Ryoma, who only looked out the window, bored. Typical Ryoma. She finally muttered the 'I'm sorry I'm late.' and quickly walked to her seat, face flushed.

Almost immediately after she sat, several notes landed on her desk, each asking the story behind her eye. Sakuno sighed, and began scribbling 'a tennis ball hit me' on each note.

Ryoma frowned at the fuss the class made over Ryuzaki's eye. Compensation dating? Daughter of Yakuza? Some people needed to get a grip on reality. Although it did look nice compared to what it could have been without ice. And Ryoma knew that if he hadn't walked over to help her, she would've calmed down after a couple of minutes and began taking more pictures. He didn't know whether to admire her dedication or curse it.

He looked at his hand, still miffed about the incident yesterday. Since when did he have _feelings_ for that girl? And if her strange effect on him wasn't annoying enough, turns out Coach had the audacity to go back on his word and schedule practice a half hour _early._ "Practice at five," scribbled neatly on a note with no explanation whatsoever. Ryoma growled when he first saw the note, and threw it into a trash bin.

The bell rang, and a prim and proper woman walked in. Ryoma stretched and yawned. Nap time.

"A confession," Sakuno questioned, fingering the ends of one of her braids. "But... who," she asked in confusion, "And why so vague?"

Her best friend, Tomo, grinned. "Who else is that vague," she asked innocently, laughing when Sakuno's face turned red. "Excited," she asked, and Sakuno shook her head quickly.

"He's not the type to do that," she replied, and looked at the note with a frown.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, the only place it could be referring to is the tennis courts. I haven't heard any rumors about anyone from the other teams liking you." Sakuno bit her lip, not allowing herself to get caught up in Tomo's fantasies. "And he did help you yesterday, right?"

"Any of the other members would do the same," she replied, trying to block out her best friend. No use in getting excited and disappointed. . . Tomo sighed when she stopped getting a reaction out of Sakuno. It wasn't fun to tease her without a reaction.

"Did you develop those shots of the challenge match yet," Tomo asked, and Sakuno brightened, nodding. She reached in her bag and pulled out a mini album, already organized by team player and group shots. Tomo flipped through, smiling. "You've gotten better at this," she complimented, but smirked once she finished doing a quick flip through. "But where's Ryoma? I know you didn't leave him out."

Sakuno blushed. "I had too many of him. . . so I made a separate album," she said reluctantly. Tomo laughed in glee, then gasped when Sakuno pulled out an identical album, filled completely.

"If I didn't know you for most of my life, I'd say you were some sort of stalker." Sakuno's eyes widened and she bit her lip in worry.

"I can't help it, Tomo, he just looks so graceful when he plays. . . I find myself getting every shot of the match."

Tomo sighed and patted her friend on the head like a dog, "You've got it bad, my friend," then, in a moment of madness, "Why don't you confess? It doesn't look like boy of wonder is going to do that anytime soon."

Sakuno didn't blush like Tomo expected, rather, she sighed in hopelessness. "I want to Tomo, but tennis is his life. I don't want to be a distraction." Tomo blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing, to Sakuno's dismay.

"I doubt you're on his radar enough to be called a 'distraction'." Sakuno frowned and bowed her head.

"I know," she mumbled, "I know."

Five came too fast. Sakuno found herself making a beeline for the tennis courts, but stopped herself as they came into view. Why was she doing this? She could just ignore the letter, and leave whoever it was waiting. . . then they'd get the point, right? She turned and started to walk away when she heard a familiar _pok_ Someone . . . Someone was actually at the tennis courts?

Sakuno dashed to the courts, then stopped when she saw Ryoma hitting a ball against the wall. Her heart stopped, then began beating like she just finished a marathon in record breaking time.

She stood watching him play, the movements that looked so natural it made tennis seem easy, the ever present smirk that appeared amidst of concentration, the way he stopped every ten shots and switched hands. . .

What was he doing here? He never practiced early, although she had seen him practice late before. She opened her mouth to say his name, but something had stolen her voice away. She watched him in awe and prayed he would turn and notice her.

Something was wrong. His teammates were not here yet. Ryoma frowned and began hitting a ball against the wall. "Five minutes," he told himself, "Five minutes and then I leave and kill whoever put that note into my shoebox." A misplaced slam caused him to dash for the ball, missing it by inches. He half growled his frustration, picked up the ball, and started to walk back to the locker room.

He stopped abruptly when he saw her. His chest tightened a bit, and he blinked in surprise. What was she doing here? Was she the one who put that note in his box? Despite his shock, at that thought he flamed with anger. Another fangirl. They were all the same. He scowled and walked over to her, ready to chew her out.

Sakuno bit her lip as she saw Ryoma approach, looking angry. She began to shake as he neared, and as soon as he opened his mouth she bowed and blurted out, "I'm sorry!" Ryoma closed his mouth in surprise. "I got a letter saying to meet someone at the courts at five, and when I came by you were practicing alone and . . . It looked beautiful . . . so I started watching," she finished, voice trailing off softly so that the final lines were a mere whisper.

Ryoma absorbed her information with shock. She received a note too? Then . . . he sighed. It was all clear now. "Don't apologize," he ordered, "I got the bloody note too." Sakuno stopped shaking, but she still didn't have the courage to look up at him. Her heart still beat like the dickens, and she was sure her face resembled a tomato. "Those bastards," he muttered, then looked down at Sakuno, who stared at the ground nervously.

"Hey," he urged, knocking on her head, "Let me see your eye." Sakuno's jaw dropped in shock. If she looked him in the eye, she would surely blow up! But to refuse Ryoma . . .

She took a deep breath and looked up, meeting his gaze. He leaned forward, and she felt her face redden further, if that was possible. He stared at it intensely for a few seconds before leaning back. "It'll be gone by the end of the week," he said with satisfaction.

Sakuno nodded and mumbled something along the lines of 'That's good." They stood in an awkward silence before Sakuno took a shaky step back and, of course, tripped backwards over her bag.

Ryoma watched her fall and then hiss in pain. He flashbacked to this morning's stumble and couldn't help but tease her a bit - "Has there ever been a day in your life where you didn't trip over something?"

Sakuno, embarrassed, now looked up at him in confusion. But, not missing a beat, she smiled and nodded proudly. "May seventeenth of two thousand!" Ryoma stared at her for a moment before chuckling. Sakuno joined in, not because it was funny, but because she needed to ease her nerves.

He held out his hand to help her up. Sakuno looked at it before nervously holding out her hand. He pulled her up in a fluid motion, and, to his satisfaction, no strange electricity passed between them. He looked down to get her bag and noticed a photo album sticking out. Naturally, the curious cat reached down and grabbed it, much to Sakuno's horror.

He flipped through it, recognizing the setting as the last challenge match they had against Tokodai. His eyes widened as he neared the end of the album and had yet to see a picture of himself. He appeared in the group shots. The celebration pictures, the pep talks… it seemed the only thing left were the locker room shots (though he doubted she had the guts to do such a thing). So, she wasn't taking pictures of him . . He flipped back through, trying to see who had more shots. Perhaps Tsubasa? Or maybe Takki? Takuya seemed to get a few as well…

"You're good," he complimented, oddly stiff and formal. Sakuno bit her lip in confusion. Why did he sound so formal and strict? She looked at the album in his hand – the one of his teammates. She looked down and quickly debated about showing him is own album.

"Th-thank you," she murmured, and bent down to get the other album out. "Here's the one of you," she said, holding it out nervously.

She saw Ryoma's eyes widen slightly and quickly Tomo's joke of being a stalker echoed in her mind. She bit her lip, maybe she shouldn't have given him it after all. . . .

Ryoma's eyes widened as he looked through the album. It looked like she had taken a picture of every shot he did. And though a part of him recoiled in horror at the sight, another part felt proud that he warranted an entire album from her. He nodded in satisfaction and smirked, "Not bad. I'll be taking this, and I'll be sure to show my teammates the other one."

Sakuno's eyes widened. "You – you want to keep it," she squeaked, then blushed and cleared her throat, "I mean, you want it?"

Ryoma gave her an 'are you a moron' look, and nodded. "It is of me, after all," he explained, "And you did take it for us, didn't you?" Sakuno nodded, mind numb from the conversation. Ryoma could've asked her to jump of a cliff wearing a chicken suit and she would've agreed without a second thought. He looked down at her, "Were you planning on giving it to us at practice?"

"Ah," she yelped in embarrassment, "Y-you give it to them." Ryoma nodded and looked at his watch.

"Looks like practice is about to start. Are you taking pictures today?" Sakuno nodded, afraid of squeaking out another reply. Ryoma nodded and turned, smiling slightly. Teasing their little photographer was fun.

He looked at the album in his hand and his chest tightened again. He frowned; why was she getting this reaction from him? He had no feelings for her whatsoever. None. He neared the door and heard the clamor of men inside.

Ryoma opened the door, glaring, "Which one of you fucktards put that letter in my box?" Several immediately clammed up, but the ever joker Tsubasa smirked and stood.

"I did. Did you have fun wooing our photographer?"

Ryoma's voice was flat and unemotional, "You. Me. Courts. Now."

Sakuno watched in amazement as Ryoma proceeded to play with the same intensity as he had during his match for the spot to enter Nationals. Tsubasa could only dash around the court in vain trying to reach the balls . . . when he wasn't being pegged by them, of course.


	3. Koi no Nukegara

**Andante**

**Composed by Chiaki Nozomi**

**Ryo.Saku.******

"I hate you," Tsubasa groaned, rubbing his legs. Welts were all over his legs, some of which would turn into dainty round bruises. Ryoma didn't reply, but instead tossed the photo album to him. Tsubasa wrinkled his nose in confusion, then picked it up and flipped through it. "Eh," he exclaimed in surprise, "Did our little photographer make this?"

Ryoma grunted his reply and continued to change his clothes. Tsubasa called the other regulars over and they huddled around him, looking at the photos. When they finished, all looked at Ryoma, confused.

"Yo Echizen, where's your pictures," Tsubasa asked, and Ryoma nodded toward his right, where his photo album lay. Immediately the room filled with the male's catcalls and hoots. "I knew she had the hots for ya," he said with a smirk, "And can you imagine the effort she put into this? Staying up late, laying the photos down gently, thinking 'Ryoma-kun! Ryoma-kun!'".

"But I don't like her," Ryoma stated bluntly, causing everyone to quickly silence in shock. Tsubasa blinked in confusion before scoffing.

"You _think_ you don't like her," he replied, "But it's written all over your face and actions – _you want her_." Ryoma scoffed back, and finished placing his things in his locker. Tsubasa chuckled, "Just like an elementary school kid."

"I think _you're_ the one that wants her," he replied as he zipped up his bag. Tsubasa, sensing a challenge, quickly accepted.

"And if I do?"

"Then you can have her," Ryoma stated, and walked out of the locker room. Tsubasa's jaw hung slightly open, and he laughed heartily. "Yo Takki," he called and his quieter doubles partner looked up, saw his friend's face, and said 'No.'. Tsubasa laughed again, "Oh yes."

Ryoma opened the gates, frowning at the loud squeak. He would have to get that fixed soon. Sighing, he opened the door and changed shoes, then turned to be face to face with his father, oddly wearing a serious countenance. Ryoma stared up at him, irked. Although Nanjirou played seriously with him, Ryoma had never won a match, and Father just simply loved to rub that little fact in Ryoma's face daily.

But now his face wasn't playful, and his gaze told Ryoma that his smart mouth wouldn't get him out of this conversation.

"What is this," he asked, holding up a packet addressed to Ryoma from the World Tennis Association. Ryoma looked up at it, then nodded with satisfaction.

"It came in. I've been waiting for it."

"You're only a boy." Ryoma frowned, of all people in the world to contend his decision; his father was the last on the list. If anything, Ryoma expected him to laugh it off and continue on looking at his swimsuit idol magazines.

Ryoma glared and held out his hand. "It's marked with my name, not yours."

"Have you discussed it with anyone?"

"No," Ryoma replied, annoyed.

"Good," Nanjirou replied, and gestured to the family room. "We'll have plenty to talk about." He walked to the room, and Ryoma glared at his back, then, after a moment of deliberation, followed him and sat.

"Oi," Tsubasa called, and dashed to Sakuno. She looked up at him, confused. Tsubasa grinned. "Let me tell ya what I heard yesterday. Ryoma –"

"Not so early in the morning," Takki warned, smacking his friend on the head. He smiled gently at Sakuno, "Everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie." Sakuno nodded, still confused at the exchange. Takki then shoved Tsubasa away, much to Tsubasa's chagrin.

"Geez Takki," he groaned, "Did you have to push me so hard?"

Takki rolled his eyes, "It's not right to play with a girl's feelings like that."

Tsubasa shrugged and kicked a rock. "It's not like teasing ever killed anyone."

"No, but it has made them kill themselves." Tsubasa scoffed at his friend's reply. Women were just playthings; the fact that they flocked to him like flies to honey just made his shopping easier. Takki changed the subject to English, their worst subject, and the two walked to class, attempting a conversation in the tongue.

Sakuno waited by the entrance for Ryoma. She knew it was pathetic, but starting the day off by greeting him made it fly by a bit better. Not to mention she skipped the past couple of mornings because of the photos. He came into view and she smiled. "Ryoma-kun!"

He stopped and death glared. "What do you want," he snapped. Sakuno's eyes widened. She stepped back, stuttering out an apology. "Just get it out," he barked.

"I… I just wanted to say good morning," she replied in a half yelp. Something had to be wrong, right? The photo book didn't scare him or anything… right? He didn't hate her… She bit her lip to hold back tears.

Ryoma sighed and continued on his way. Of all people… His own father… Ryoma scowled. He was more than ready to take on the pros. In fact, he could take the world crown if he desired. Lord knows the pros would provide more competition than his teammates and their opponents. The matches were starting to get boring.

The entire morning Ryoma seemed to be in the same angry state, and Sakuno felt her conscious growing weaker as time passed. When the lunch bell rang she quickly fled to the safety of the roof, where she proceeded to cry. Her bout in self pity didn't last long though, because Tomo appeared a minute later, breathing heavily and half muttering something about Sakuno's stamina. She sat next to her friend, "What's wrong?"

Sakuno sniffled. "Have you heard anything about Ryoma? Like him thinking I'm a freak or something…"

Tomo's eyes widened – "You gave him the photo book, didn't you?" Sakuno nodded and she explained the situation. Tomo pursed her lips in thought. "I don't think he hates you, otherwise he would've said it bluntly." She grinned, "Why don't you ask him what's wrong?" Sakuno's face flamed, as expected, and she protested, as expected. Tomo sighed. "You've liked him for over three years and you still haven't moved past the small talk stage. It's painful to watch, Sakuno!"

"But there's nothing I could say to him…"

Tomo chuckled, "You don't need to say anything to him. Half the time they're grateful for having someone to vent out their frustrations on."

"But isn't that what tennis is for," Sakuno stated dryly, "Smashing the ball to relive stress?"

Tomo smirked, "But if tennis is the source of the stress? The door's wide open Sakuno. Just walk in!"

"But," Sakuno objected, only to have Tomo cut her off.

"I don't want to hear anything until you try. In fact, now seems like a good time. I Tomo, order thee, Sakuno, to findst Ryoma Echizen and makest him thine own!" When Sakuno gave a confused look, Tomo commented dryly, "It's a joke Sakuno. Laugh."

"Eh? Where's Echizen," Takuya asked, glancing around the lunchroom, "You didn't piss him off again, did you Tsubasa?" Tsubasa's eyes widened in mock innocence.

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" Takki, Takuya, and Shingo shot annoyed looks at him, making Tsubasa cringe. "No, I haven't done anything today beyond talk to our little photographer. Ryoma's been in a bad mood all morning. Must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed or something."

Takki sighed. "Our little photographer has caused much ado lately, hasn't she?"

"What are you talking about," Shingo asked, "That incident earlier was the first thing in months."

A light, playful chuckle left Takki. Takuya nodded, knowing what his teammate thought. "Did you notice that Ryoma was a bit off after photogirl left with the blackeye?" Tsubasa and Shingo shrugged indifference. "Well, I suppose since you weren't watching him you wouldn't know… but I think she's become a part of his rhythm. It's obvious that she comes to take pictures of him, not us," he stated, side glaring at Tsubasa, "And she's been doing it for a year or so now, according to Tomo-chan."

"So if I break our little photographer's camera, I have a chance at beating Ryoma," Tsubasa interjected with a grin.

"Lack of rhythm won't cure lack of skills," Shingo remarked, and they laughed, excluding Tsubasa, who put on an exaggerated pout.

"I still have bruises from the other day" he moaned, rubbing his leg. "Although watching them was worth it." He then ended the topic by snatching Shingo's chips.

"Okay," Sakuno murmured, "If I was Ryoma-kun, where would I be?" She stopped and tried to think, but only tennis would come to mind. She sighed and kicked a stray pebble. "I really do know nothing about him…"

As luck would have it, she didn't have to find Ryoma – he came to her.

As luck would have it, he didn't notice her - and knocked her down.

Sakuno didn't know whether to bless or curse her luck. She started to apologize, but stopped herself. His bump caused this, not her folly.

Ryoma looked down at the thing he bumped into. Her. The last face he wanted to see at the moment. He held out his hand to help her up, and when she took it, that strange electricity passed through him again. Not to mention that her skirt bunched up and he had clear view of her pink strawberry panties…he released her hand halfway up, and she plopped down to the ground in a clunk. Angry at his mistake, he grabbed her hand and yanked her up.

He should've known better. The momentum sent Sakuno forward and onto him, pushing him to the ground. Jeez, she was heavy…

Sakuno looked at Ryoma in horror. She quickly rolled off him and starting spewing "Sorry" a million times a minute. Ryoma turned his head to her and she quickly shut her mouth. He sighed and stood, then reached out his hand to help her up again. When she took it, he slowly pulled her up. "Thank you," she muttered, embarrassed.

"That was my mistake," he replied and began walking off. Sakuno watched her opportunity take its last breaths as he got farther away. She was going to be stronger, right? More assertive, right? Right!

"Ryoma-kun," she called out, and he turned, giving a 'What do you want now' look. She took a deep breath and jogged to him. She got to him and he look at her, slightly curious, slightly annoyed. "You- you look like something's bothering you and I was wondering what it was?"

He scoffed and shook his head. "It doesn't concern you."

"A-ah," she nervously laughed, "I guess it doesn't. I just thought you wanted to talk about it… you know, make you feel better…" Feel better? What was she thinking? Hello Captain Obvious! Just tell him you like him while you're at it! Ryoma didn't reply, and the two walked in silence for awhile.

"My application to join the World Tennis Association came in yesterday." Sakuno wrinkled her brow in confusion. Why would he be upset over that? "My father got it before I did. He forbid me to apply unless I could do one of two things – beat every opponent I face this year in straight sets, or beat him in straight sets." Sakuno's eyes widened.  
  
"Straight sets?!"

"Yeah," he replied, "Both equally impossible. Even the pros lose games in a match."

Sakuno bit her lip, "Well, maybe he's doing it to see if you'll try to do it? Like.. umm… He doesn't expect you to, but he wants to see you try it?"

Ryoma laughed, "You don't know my father."

"If you did that… you would quit school?"

Ryoma nodded, "Yeah." Sakuno frowned. That gave her less than a year to confess to him. Less than a year to be with him… What was she kidding? She knew he would leave to go pro eventually. But she hadn't anticipated that until her senior year.

"If you want I could get one for you," she said, "I could get them to send one to me and I could give it to you."

A half smile crept onto Ryoma's face. "No, I need my father's permission for this," and he let his tone imply the 'Thanks for the offer,' bit. "I think after he cools down he'll change his options to something more possible. That still doesn't change the fact that I have terms to begin with," he half growled.

Sakuno chuckled, "The tennis world already has its eyes on you, ne?"

"Only in Japan," he replied. "The world hasn't so much as glanced at me yet." Sakuno nodded, not knowing how to reply. The walked in silence again, but it was a comfortable silence.

"Where are you going," Sakuno asked, trying to make conversation again. Times alone with Ryoma were rare, and she could hear Tomo's urgings at the back of her mind.

"Skipping class."

"Skipping class," Sakuno questioned, "It's still lunch time, isn't it?"

Ryoma arched an eyebrow, "Lunch ended ten minutes ago." Sakuno shrieked in horror.

"But I have english after lunch," she whined, "And I'm already failing!" Ryoma chuckled.

"I'll teach you."

Sakuno's heart skipped a beat. How many times had she dreamed of him saying that? "You will?"

"Just kidding," he replied and smirked at her protest. Who knew the little photographer would ease his frustrations? "Follow me, and I'll go over last night's homework."

"What did you say," Sakuno asked, "I only understood "homework"." Ryoma frowned. That would be too much trouble.

"Nevermind," he replied, and continued walking. Sakuno followed, still trying to get the translation to his earlier offer.

**A/N: Cinpii – Wow, thanks for the crits! Ehehehehe… Confession time! I don't take fanfiction seriously. I write them, check for spelling mistakes, and post them. I have this irk of spending time on something knowing that none of the characters belong to me. But since this seems like a niche genre, I'll try and spend a bit more time on them. I went back and edited the first two chapters, taking note of the things you said. **

**I really don't know how you get to the pros (other than winning allot of tournaments to increase your rank), so if it's wrong.. err… shoot me or something. --;;; And then I'll change it. .**


	4. Matsu wa

**Andante**

**Composed by : Chiaki Nozomi**

**Ryo.Saku**

"Tomo-chan! It worked! What you said was true," Sakuno gushed over the phone that night. "I didn't believe it would at first, but he really started talking like you said!"

Tomo laughed. "Of course it did, silly." Sakuno giggled with delight.

"It's so weird Tomo. I felt like we actually had a conversation!"

"It's about time," Tomo replied, "I was going to lock you two in an elevator or something if nothing happened soon!" Sakuno sighed contentedly. "Hey, what did you put on your career sheet?"

The euphoria of the afternoon's moment stalled at those words. Career... future....separation.... "I... I don't know yet."

Tomo tsked her tongue, "We're in our junior year, Sakuno! How are you going to know which University you should apply to? You can't follow Ryoma your entire life!"

"I know Tomo but," she paused, and sighed in defeat. "I know. I know. What did you put?"

"Journalism, Teaching, and OL. You have fun taking pictures, right? Just put photography."

Sakuno shook her head. "I doubt my parents would approve."

Tomo scoffed, "Sure. Like they don't know where you spend your afternoons and allowances. If they disapproved, they would've said something a long time ago. And if they do, just get your grandma to say something about it. I'm sure they'll listen to her."

Less than a year. "I guess I'll put it down. But what should I do with the other two?"

"Jeez Sakuno, it's your life, not mine. Just think of something."

* * *

"Ryoma," Nanjiroh said up Ryoma's entrance to the house. Ryoma looked up, annoyed.

"Can't you wait until I change shoes, Old man?" Nanjiroh glared back, but didn't reply to his retort. When Ryoma's shoes were on, he pointed to the living room, where last night they had their little 'talk'. They sat in front of each other and waited for one to break the silence.

In a way, they made this a match in itself. Nanjiroh was sure Ryoma's curious nature would cause him to break the silence first – Ryoma knew this and stayed silent. Five minutes past, then ten, then finally Nanjiroh broke the silence with a pout. "You really aren't a cute kid. How are you going to get girls like that?"

"Just get to the point," Ryoma replied, irked at yet again being called a 'kid' and hassled to get a girlfriend. Nanjiroh laughed at his reply.

"I've changed my mind." Ryoma nodded, this much he knew would happen. Nanjiroh grabbed the calendar next to him and flipped forward to the spring of next year. Ryoma arched an eyebrow at the content – the huge idol group MM, his father always seemed more like the magazine and swimsuit idol man, but his eye was drawn to the fifteenth of June, which was circled in red.

"See this date? You're going to have a match with me on that day. If you can beat me, I will let you go pro."

Ryoma shook his head. "What's the catch?"

Nanjiroh laughed heartily. "There's my boy. The catch is that I'm going to start training seriously until that day. I may not be at my prime, but I'll be in better shape than I am now." Ryoma nodded, digesting the information.

A half year away - more than enough time to get back in shape and groove. But what other choice did he have? Winning every match until then by straight sets? "Deal," he replied, then rose.

"Where are you going," Nanjiroh asked, though he knew the answer.

"Practice."

Nanjiroh loudly laughed, "There's hope for you yet, boy."

* * *

"Hey Camera-girl," Tsubasa greeted, "What are you doing?"

Sakuno jumped in surprise at Tsubasa's greeting. "Oh, nothing."

"Nothing," he chided, "Could you be waiting for Starboy?" Sakuno blushed, and he laughed. "Gotcha, gotcha."

"Hey Takki," Takuya said, punching his arm, "Look over there." Takki saw Tsubasa talking with Sakuno, which, from this distance, could be interpreted as flirting (especially since he had his signature grin on display), and frowned. "What's he doing with her?"

"Taking her attention away from Ryoma."

"Why," Takuya inquired, "Since when did he have thing for her?"

Takki shook his head, "He doesn't. He's just trying to get to Ryoma." Takuya frowned as well.

"Let's go stop him before Ryoma gets here. If anything happens and she tells Tomo, Tomo'll have my hide."

Takuya and Takki approached Tsubasa, greeting him with a smack across the head. Tsubasa groaned and rubbed his head. "You guys are always picking on me," he whined. "It's too early for this!"

"It's too early to be talking to girls," Takuya said, and turned to Sakuno. "We'll take this tiger away from you." Sakuno shook her head.

"He wasn't bothering me much." Tsubasa grinned.

"See? I wasn't bothering her!"

"But you're bothering us," Takki interjected and dragged Tsubasa away.

"Tell Tomo I said hi," Takuya said and dashed to catch up with his friends. Sakuno chuckled softly at the boys' antics. She looked at the courtyard for any sign of Ryoma, then at her watch. He was running late today. Just before she decided to give it up for today (the last thing she needed was to be late for class after skipping the day before) he came jogging in. She couldn't help but smile upon seeing him.

Yesterday's talk gave her confidence, so now it felt easier to go to him like a friend when he passed by. "Good morning Ryoma-kun."

"Morning," he replied.

"Did your father change his mind like you thought?"

He nodded. "I have a chance now." Sakuno smiled.

"That's good." Ryoma nodded and pointed to the water fountain. Sakuno smiled and said her goodbye before walking ahead of him to class. Ryoma watched her leave before going to the fountain. He probably smelled a bit, for he decided to run to school in addition to his daily morning jog.

Though part of him recoiled at thought of a fit father, another part trusted his abilities to win. After all, a half year would provide plenty of growth for him as well. And if he could sneak in a couple of tournaments...

Yes. The odds were on his side.

* * *

"Echizen Ryoma," Sakura Sensei announced with a curt voice, "I must give this back to you. You can't put Professional Tennis as the only option of future employment!" Sakuno chuckled silently from her seat. It was entirely like Ryoma to do that.

"It's not an option," he replied, "It is my future employment."

"You could add trainer or coach to the list. Something more realistic," she urged. Ryoma shook his head. "Echizen-san, how are we supposed to recommend universities to you?"

"Don't worry about it. I've already got it taken care of."

Sakura Sensei frowned, but didn't say anything further. "I'll just get Syaoran to talk some sense into him," she thought and scanned everyone else's papers. She frowned, the joking jobs would not end. "Goto-san, Hayashi-san, and Ogawa-san! AV star is not a valid occupation! And Matsuura-san! An idol is not a valid occupation either!" As she continued down the list, the class either ignored her or laughed at the choices she read aloud.

* * *

"Ryoma," Syaoran said as Ryoma exited class for lunch, "I need to talk to you." Ryoma looked up at his coach, knowing the issue was his occupation. Just once he wished the man's wife would just let things be. He followed his coach to the courts, where they sat on the stands.

"I suppose you know our true identity already," he began, looking at him for confirmation.

Ryoma chuckled, "Of course. A story about a girl cross-dressing to play tennis at an all male school is not forgettable. I also remember reading you were banned from playing professionally." Syaoran nodded.

"I think Sakura wanted me to talk you out of it, but as someone who played professionally once, I support your decision. I called an old friend of mine, and he said he would come over to give you private lessons. "

Ryoma nodded and thanked his coach. Coach Syaoran nodded his reply and left. The two's personalities were similar in that aspect and thus the two got along well. In any case, that 'personal' trainer of his would provide a change of pace. Coach and his teammates' styles were already predictable.

Sakuno sat on a bench and sighed. Though foolish, she still felt a giddy happiness when it came to remembering yesterday. For once she managed to hold a conversation with Ryoma – and he had confided in her like a friend.

"Whatcha grinning about," Tsubasa said as he sat next to her, "Don't tell me it's Starboy." Sakuno jumped in surprise at the sound. Tsubasa again? The teammates talked to her in the halls occasionally, or said morning (except Takuya, but that's because he was Tomo's boyfriend) but to come over with the intention to make conversation? She shook her head no, but her flushed face gave her lie away. Tsubasa laughed and smacked her on the back lightly (after all, she was a girl). "Okay, Little Photographer, what do you say to a proposition?"

"Proposition," Sakuno echoed, "What do you mean?"

Tsubasa put on his best innocent face, "Well, I would like to see you and Starboy get together." Sakuno's eyes widened. A plot? Sounded Tomo-ish.

"No," she replied with a smile, "I'd like things to come as they may."

"Even if Starboy leaves without knowing how you feel," he replied dubiously. "He's probably leaving this year, you know." Sakuno nodded, sure of herself. Tsubasa sighed and leaned back, covering his forehead with his hand. Plan A failed. He didn't think of a Plan B, sure that she would accept his offer.

He removed his hand and saw Ryoma running toward them from behind. Grinning, he put his arm around Sakuno's shoulder, "Well, Little Photographer, if you ever need someone to confide to, I'm there." Sakuno nodded, weirded out by his sudden advances.

Ryoma jogged by, glancing at them as he passed by. Tsubasa waved, Sakuno flushed, and then she realized that Tsubasa still had his arm around her shoulder. Her eyes widened in horror and she called out Ryoma's name and dashed after him. Tsubasa watched her leave, chuckling. Plan B – success!

"Ryoma-kun," Sakuno gasped out, and he stopped, jogging in place. Sakuno blinked in confusion. What should she say to him? It's not like they were together or anything, she just didn't want him to misunderstand...

"Oi, get it out," he said, and Sakuno cringed. She didn't know what to say!

"I...I," she stuttered, "What are you doing?" Ryoma cocked his head to the side.

"Training," he said, stating the obvious. Sakuno giggled nervously.

"I should've known that," she muttered, "Ah, I was just talking to Imai-san. He said you were leaving after this year?" Ryoma arched an eyebrow. What was wrong with the girl? She already knew all of this, he told her yesterday. Sakuno noticed his look and bit her lip, about to burst of embarrassment. "About Imai-san, it's not what you think..."

Ryoma laughed. He couldn't help it – stuttering out words and biting her lip to hold back what would soon be tears – she looked cute. Besides, Tsubasa was known for showering everyone with unwanted affection. Sakuno looked up in shock. What was he laughing about?

"Tsubasa does that to everyone," he explained, "Don't think much of it." Though part of him did wonder why Tsubasa wanted to talk to her. His type seemed to be the louder girls, not the shy ones like Ryuzaki.

"I see," Sakuno replied, "Have you eaten yet?"

Ryoma thought for a second. Had he eaten today? He couldn't remember... In the morning he changed and began jogging to school, not taking the train; at lunch Coach called him to talk and afterward he started jogging around the school... "No."

Sakuno's eyes widened. He was running all the time like that and didn't bother to eat? "I- I packed an extra lunch, would you like it?"

Free food? Why not? Ryuzaki's food was halfway decent, not like the other fangirls who gave him burned or undercooked lunches. "Sure," he replied. Sakuno smiled and dashed back to the bench to get her stuff. Tsubasa was long gone. She noted his disappearance with a frown, but didn't bother thinking about it much because at the moment feeding Ryoma was top priority.

They ate in silence, but it was comfortable and natural. Sakuno enjoyed watching him eat her food, and once Ryoma started eating he realized how hungry he felt. He finished and handed the empty box back to her. "Was it good?"

Ryoma nodded. "Too much salt though." Sakuno blushed and made a mental note to use less salt. Now they were in an uncomfortable silence. Ryoma couldn't get up and jog again without risking losing his lunch, but he had no reason to stay with Ryuzaki.

"How often are you training now," Sakuno asked, trying to make conversation.

"In all my spare time," he replied. "My old man is too."

Sakuno nodded. "How good is your father?"

Ryoma sighed. "He's a master. If he hadn't retired he would have smashed every record in existence. Sampras and Agassi would have been his rivals."

"I see... aren't you worried about beating him?"

Ryoma scoffed. "He may be a master, but I'm his student." Sakuno half smiled. Ryoma had grown more cocky over the years, and while it annoyed his teammates and opponents, she found it cute. Though because his cocky nature showed more in his stature and face than his words, most found it tolerable, and it became one of those 'It's just Ryoma' things.

The bell rang, and the two rose and walked back to class together. Sakuno sat in her seat and opened her desk to find a sheet of paper with the word "Slut" scrawled on it in bright red. Her eyes widened in horror. Slut? Why would they call her that? She crumbled up the paper and opened her book to find "Whore" "Bitch" "Slut" and other explicative words written on the pages. She immediately closed the book and turned to Tomo.

"Hey Tomo-chan, can we share books? I left mine at home." Tomo chastised her for forgetting and pushed their desks together. Sakuno spent a moment wondering who wrote the messages and why, but the subject at hand was English and her attention was diverted quickly to the language.

**Short, tiny crossover here, just because I felt like it. (a.k.a. too lazy to think of new names)**


End file.
